Cassie Drew: Mystery of the carnival caper
by MadameDejah1995
Summary: Cassie was a normal girl, living in a small town, but her life was about to change.
1. Intro

Five minutes. That's all that is left. Cassie tapped her fingers impatiently on her desk, glaring daggers at the clock on the wall. Why can't Time go by faster! Cassie glanced at Rion, her childhood friend and "partner in crime" as the saying goes. His eyes were hidden beneath his flair of brown hair, but Cassie could tell he was just as eager as she was. Rion had always been the adventerous one of the two. A natural born athelete, he enjoyed skate boarding, parkour, and every manner of sport there is. He is, in student definition, "a freak", with his metalica shirts, black pants, chains, the in Cassie's eyes, he was a lovable teddy bear, who was the only person in school who enjoyed the cafateria food. At this thought, Cassie shuddered. How could anyone even go NEAR that food? "Super Meatloaf surprise" is code for "we dont have a freaking clue what we put in here! Eat up!" In Hasselhofe High School, bullies don't attack you for money to buy lunch, they try to take your lunchbox! Of course, Rion never had that problem. He can sit down at a table and shovel down "Spam and Broccolli casserole" and think nothing of it. Suddenly, the bell rang. Freedom...Sweet freedom...Cassie couldn't believe it! Two whole months of not seeing these psychos...uhh, _teachers _for awhile. Cassie darted from from seat and towards Rioan, who was throwing up his pile of unfinished homework...from last year. "It's funny how Principle Sanders hasn't expelled you," Cassie commented on the large stack which was soon scattered around the classroom. "I'm an asset to the school," he replied quickly, throwing more papers around. "Sure, what would we do without your constant grafitti and vandalizing of school property," Cassie chuckled as Rion's face turned red.

"Come on, let's go meet Liz," Cassie grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the empty classroom despite his protesting. Introducing now, dear reader, Liz Humphrey, another childhood friend. Cassie, Liz, and Rion had become friends within the very week of kindergarden and they have been friends ever since. Despite all of their differences, they were all tightly knit together as friends, almost like siblings! As they all chatted happily together, Liz mentioned that a carnival was coming to town. "Think we'll have a mystery coming up?" Liz teased and laughed as Cassie slightly reddened a bit. "I know you admire your cousin Nancy, so maybe you might get to do some sleuthing at the carnival." Cassie shook her head, "I doubt it," she said and looked around her. She lived in a small town, which would be referred to as "one horse" by many people. What could possibly go wrong at a county carnival? As each student parted their seperate ways, Cassie never dreamed that she was about to get way more than what she asked for...

Thanks folks! I will be writing WAAAY longer stuff next week, so R&R! oh, and sumone posted it before it was time D: poor me! Anyways, thanks!


	2. Chapter 1

Cassie walked into the house and dropped her backpack near the door, as was her custom. She was quickly greeted by her dog Fifi, who lapped up the attention she quickly received from Cassie. "Have you been a good girl? Yes you have," Cassie cooed and laughed as Fifi rolled over on her back in response. Cassie mounted the stairs to her room, which was her safe haven when other things went wrong. She plopped on her soft, queen sized bed and picked up her tv remote. The tv cut straight to the news, indicating her brother Joey had been watching tv in her room, again. "Want some family fun time?" the news reporter asked, "then drag your kids along to Finley Brother's travelling carnival!" Cassie sat up, watching with rapt attention. To a small town girl, a carnival was a big event! "Only 2 dollars per person, and lots of games and food for everyone! And, don't forget to attend the special magic show that's included when you purchase your ticket!" Cassie was sold immediately. She quickly called up her friends and they planned to head there tomorrow bright and early. Hey, they never said you couldn't bring friends to replace family, right?

The next morning, Cassie skipped out on breakfast. She could already smell those consession stand hotdogs, nachos with cheese, and a super burpy soda. She put on her best jump suit and sneakers, braided her hair into one large braid, and pedalled to Hambridge Park, where Liz and Rion where waiting. "Geez, Cass. What took you so long?" Rion whined. "Look, just because you walk out of the house with a bed-head doesn't mean everyone does," and Cassie gestured to Rion's messy hair, which was practically crying for a comb. After getting themselves together, they all pedalled down to the carnival, which was bustling with people. As they got to the entrance, Cassie drank in the splendor of the scene. The large rides, all of the people lined up for some popcorn, people playing games, it was amazing! Then, she saw that one idiot get on the tilt a whirl after eating some nachos. As the ride began, she saw his face turn a nasty green, and Cassie decided she wouldn't watch for the imminent outcome. Cassie, Rion, and Liz sauntered over to the ticket master and paid the entrance fee, then moved through the throng on anxious people into the carnival. And they thouoght it was busy outside! "Hey, we should go to the Magic Show first," Rion suggested. "I hear its about to start. Then, once that's over, we can go and ride some rides." Cassie and Liz nodded in agreement, and after much trouble of finding the place, they made it to a large tent. The tree of them managed to squeeze into a seat made for two, and watched intently as a woman dressed as a magician came to the stage. "For my first act, I will make a person disappear!" The crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed as she brought out a large coffin-like case. "And, for my first victim...I-i mean, volunteer, I will have our own chairman, Micheals!" The crowd applauded as a man of about 20 stepped forward. "Did she say, victim?" Rion whispered to Cassie, which she nodded in response. It was apparent no one noticed her little "mistake", but Cassie's worry increased as the door to the coffin containing Owen was securely bolted. Cassie watched breathlessly as Mary (that's her name, btw) waved her wand and said some soft of gibberish and a few things could be heard in the coffin. "Abraca-" Mary was cut short as the coffin shot open and the crowd gasped as there was no one inside. "W-what happened?" Mary stammered. "T-this wasn't supposed to happen!" She tried to appear paniced, but one could tell she wasn't at all shaken. In a frenzy of panic, she waved her wand around as if she actually HAD powers, causing the crowd to stampede away from the tent, screaming in horror, thinking they might disappear as well. "What in the world happened back there?" Liz exclaimed as they watched police rush to the scene. "I dunno, Liz," Cassie sighed. To get their minds off of that little mishap, Rion decided they could rides a couple rides. Even after riding the ferris wheel, bumper cars, and watching Rion throw up his nacho supreme, Cassie still couldn't shake the feeling that something was way out of place about that magician. That whole "victim" word jumble has Cassie worried that she might have really meant it! That evening, Cassie was curled up in front of the tv watching the news, hoping that Channel 81 would cover the disappearance. "Today, there was a peculiar mishap at the Finley Brother's carnival." Cassie perked up a little.

"Magic Mary,as her stage name is, was in the midst of one of her most famous magic tricks, The Disappearing Coffin. Her volunteer was Owen Micheals, the chairman of the whole event. But something went wrong as the magic trick was under-way. It seems that has disappeared and many fear it wasn't apart of the act. The police will continue to investigate. Magic Mary has refused a comment at this time. In other news..." Cassie was shocked. It was supposed to be a simple trick and now it's on the news! And to top it all off, she herself was a witness to the whole thing! Even though Magic Mary seemed concerned, Cassie detected foul play. was in charge of the funding for Finley Brother's. Maybe he was kidnapped. Cassie's mouth dropped open. Kidnapped! At a carnival? This is insane! Cassie shook her head to rid herself of the thought. Perhaps it was just a simple mistake, Cassie was sure the police would do all they could to find . If they didnt, it would make Finley's Brother's look really bad and be under scrutiny of the public eye. Letting the main person who played a part in Finley Brother's funding had disappeared. On their grounds at that! Cassie sighed. What a mess. Cassie sulked over to the telephone beside her bed and picked it up, but she hesitated, unsure of who to call. "I know! I'll call Nancy, she will know what to do." With that thought, she dialed Nancy's number and was soon in contact with her sleuthing cousin. "Hello?" the familiar voice said. "Hey, Nancy," Cassie smiled happily. "Oh, Cassie! How are you?" Nancy asked. Cassie sighed and retold the whole story about the carnival, and as soon as she finished, Nancy exclaimed, "you have to investigate!" "Nancy, I'm not like you," Cassie sighed. "It is your civic duty to find out. And, don't you DARE say that you aren't smart enough," Nancy said. "Your insight on my cases, had I called you sooner, would have easily solved my mysteries in a flash." They were silent for a minute. "Alright, I will see what I can do," Cassie said finally, smiling, hearing Nancy do a victory dance on the other side of a phone. "If you need some help, don't hesitate to call!" After a few minutes more of talking, they hung up their phones. Cassie plopped on her bed and smiled happily. It seems like she got her wish after all! Her next step was to figure out who would help her solve this mystery, and she chose Rion and Cassie of course. Even though he never applied himself to school, Rion was very smart when he wanted to be. Liz was the model of good conduct and was always at the top of the class, and even though Rion admired her for being at the top, he never had the slightest desire to immitate her. After setting up their plans for tomorrow, Cassie closed out her day with a light heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cassie, Liz, and Rion peddled towards the carnival, which was surprisingly in full swing, considering what had happened the day before. As the trio entered into the area of the magic tent, they were met by a bunch of yellow tape and police swarming everywhere. It took them by surprise for a moment, and they were met by a burly officer, who looked down at them. "Hey, this area is off limits," he stated, staring at us. "What do you want?" "Well, uh...I-I...um," Cassie fumbled with her words for a moment; she never thought she would meet any trouble. "We are trying to solve this mystery sir," Liz said, looking at his shining badge. "Well, squad 18 is on the case," the officer replied jovially, tipping his police cap. "And, call me Patrick." Cassie smiled and nodded, maybe she had found an ally with the police force. "So," Patrick continued, "you think you can solve this case little lady?" "Well," Cassie began, "I might not be as good as my cousin, Nancy, but-" "Wait a second!" Patrick interrupted. "Nancy, you say? What is your name?" "Cassie Drew. You know my cousin?" At this question, Patrick laughed. "Know her? I worked with her on the Twin Elms mystery!" "Really?" Cassie replied happily."Then, you must know how important it is to me to work on this case. I might be of some use to the police, Patrick." At this, Patrick sobered quickly and said, "Well, I guess it IS your civic duty to investigate, and you DO have your family name to uphold." "Oh, thank you Patrick!" Cassie exclaimed. Patrick laughed and said, "Well, don't any of you take any chances, okay?" They all nodded in agreement and Patrick flagged them on through the yellow tape. "Who knew you cousin was so famous," Rion commented. "Well, she has worked with the police a lot," Cassie replied and smiled. They walked into the tent and looked at the stage, which was swamped with officers. "Well, let's start with a motive," Cassie immediately took charge of the situation. They interviewed some onlookers and decided that they should get a snack and talk it over. "Well, from claims of others, it seems that Owen is liked by many people and that he was put in charge of the money that Finley Brother's made. He was trusted, so I don't think anyone would do it out of spite," Cassie said. Rion shrugged and said, "well, then WHAT was the motive?" "If we knew that, then the mystery would be half solved," Liz smiled. They sighed and Cassie suddenly got an idea. "May be our kidnapper will show up tonight!" Cassie exclaimed. "We could keep watch here and see what happens," Rion agreed. "With the permission of the police," Liz added, who wasn't apt to breaking the law, unlike Rion, who would break into a bank if he had to. They brought their idea to Patrick, who readily gave his consent. "Don't forget, if you need any help, don't forget to call for the police. This whole business could get dangerous." With promises to be careful and discussing their plans over again, they decided to meet again that evening at seven o' clock.

Cassie checked some things off of her list, and grabbed a sandwich she had made off of the counter. Cassie's heart was beating really fast, as she left her house and grabbed her bike, which was chained up near the garage. After a leisurely ride to the carnival, she stopped at the entrance. "It sure looks spooky at night," Cassie thought nervously, laying her bike against a random wall. "Hey Cassie!" Rion called, making Cassie jump in surprise. "Hey, what's wrong?" Liz stared at Cassie for a minute. "Oh, I was just thinking that maybe I am in over my head," Cassie sighed. "Look, Cassie," Rion smiled, "you'll be just fine. I know, it looks scary, but I am sure we won't be in any harm or danger." Soon, Cassie gathered courage from her friends and they decided to go and look around a bit. "Maybe we should search the buildings around here," Cassie suggested and they walked towards another tent. It was brightly colored and a light beamed from under the curtain, and Cassie concluded that someone was inside. She drew back the curtain and looked inside. "Let's check this out," Cassie whispered, and the trio entered into tent and they were surprised to see a clown, without make up and those funny shoes. "Hello," he greeted them and looked a bit skeptical. "The carnival is closed, you know." "Oh, we are here investigating on case on the disappearance of Owen Michaels," Cassie stated. "Is that so?" the man appeared to be amused. "So then, since you are playing detective, I should at least tell you my name. The name's Charlie. Charlie Shumway." "Nice to meet you, Charlie," Cassie smiled. "Well, we were wondering if you had any information on Owen Michaels," Rion said. "Owen Michaels? Oh! I know the guy well, such a shame he disappeared," Charlie said, frowning a bit. "From what I heard, some people wanted extra pay for their services to Finley Brother's but, he never really took their concerns to heart. From what I heard, everyone was a bit upset that they didn't get a raise in pay, but I doubt anyone would go into great lengths like kidnap to gain a few dollars," Charlie explained. Cassie nodded understandingly, taking a mental note. "Well Charlie, I guess we should let you get back to work," Cassie smiled and left Charlie to his clown shoes. "Well," Rion said, "we didn't find anything in there." "But, we might have gathered some good information on this case," Cassie replied, stroking her hair thoughtfully. "You're sounding like a real detective, Cass," Liz laughed and gave her friend a pat on the back. After a few moments of thinking, the trio decided to search the magic tent next. It was the most logical place after all. They entered into the now abandoned tent, gazing around. Suddenly, they gave a start. They heard noises coming from inside the coffin. "What on earth could that noise be?" Liz shivered. Cassie steeled herself against whatever they may find and walked up the steps and over to the coffin. As she reached the coffin, the noises stopped just as suddenly as they began. Driven mad by curiosity, Cassie flung open the coffin and looked skeptically at the wires and buttons in the side panel. What kind of mechanics would be inside of a coffin? "Hey guys, come up here!" Rion and Liz stepped onto the stage and stood next to their friend, who showed them her discovery. "I wonder what these buttons do," Rion said thoughtfully. "Hey, what are you kids doing?" After getting over their initial fright, they turned towards the source of the voice. It was Magic Mary! "Answer me," she demanded. "Well, uh," Cassie fumbled for a moment, berating herself for her lacking tongue. "We are investigating Owen Michael's disappearance," Rion said for her. At this, Mary laughed. "You? Investigate this mystery? Ha!" "Who do you think you are," Mary sneered, "Nancy Drew?" "Well, I am her cousin," Cassie said good-naturedly. At that comment, Mary's face blanched. She blinked for a moment, and it was obvious she looked nervous. "I-I see." "Well, you won't be doing any investigating here in my tent," she said. "We have permission from the police. You can't dictate to us what we can or cannot do," Liz said bravely. "Fine, but you can't look in the coffin," Mary's voice was firm and final, and she quickly left the room. "She looked nervous," Liz concluded. "I'm afraid that, since this coffin is her property, we can't touch it. But, maybe we can find some clues elsewhere." They searched the back room filled with props and outfits. "Oh, how cute!" Cassie picked up a top hat and put it on. "Hey, check this out," Liz called, pointing to a door labeled "M.M." They stared at the door, wondering whether or not they should go inside. Cassie sucked in a breath and turned the door-knob. "Let's go." What would they find in Magic Mary's room?

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and R&R! :D


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